Machine for opening envelops.



G. METZKE. MACHINE FOR OPENING` ENVELOPS.

APIPIJO.ATION FILED FEB.17, 1909.

Patented Jun8,1909.

l l I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A i l GEORG METZ'KE, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

nacimm ron OPENING Envir-Lors.

spesiaami nf Lettsmratent;

Patented June 8, 1909.

,application med rebmuy r1, isos. semi No. 41ans.

Toallfwhom'itmayconcem: n

I Be it known that I Gaone ME'rzKE, a subgt of the Gennan Ei'nperor, and residingat rhn, German have invented a certain new and useful proved Machine for Opening Envelope, of which the' following is a specification.

The invention relates to machines for ope .draw the envelops between them at the same time .as they cut them. The knives, which are driven positively and preferably at the same speed, are given a definite shape for fulfilling the double pu ose and are so mounted with regard to a gui e arranged at right an'- gles to the feed-table that they guide'the envelops along the vertical face of the guide;

According to one constructional form of the invention the knives are shaped conically at the periphery, namely in such manner that the larger circular face of the top knife faces the vertical guide, whereas that of the bottom knife is turned away from the saine.

The knives may also be such that the one knife, for example the top one, is a plane circular plate, Whereas the other knives, for example the lower, comprise two circular disks each having a cylindrical periphery. IThe two circular disks will then be arranged on an axle at a distance from one another which corresponds to the thickness of the top knife, so that the latter can entei` into the intermediate s ace. The peripheral faces of the two circu var disks will be cylindrical in order that the envelops can be driven on them; to improve the driving power of the knives their circumferential faces may be roughened or milled. Lastl two thin steel disks each pressed into the orm of a fiat funnel can be employed with their concave sides .facing one another. In order to carry away the separated strips separately from the envelop, behind the knives there is provided a guiding ledge, the operative face of which lies in a plane differentfrom the face on which'the envelops are fed. In order to feed the envelops to the knives in succession automatenvelops and its object is to provide' a machine capable ofopening alarge number ically, in front of the latter are arra ed driven rollers; these' may be shaped erently according as the-face of the table forms a iight or an acute an le with thev vertical face of the guide. In t e former case,in order to guide the envelops which are already in'ofront of Vthe knives along the vertical guide, the -rollers may be conical and arranged sothat the smaller ends of the rollers fa'ce the vertical guide; the rollers may also be cyhndrical however, in which event the table will form an acute angle with the vertical guide. ,The table may in addition be sloped downwardly in the direction of motion of the envelo s, lin order to support or aid the envelop ing conveyed automatically b gravity.

\ In or erl that the invention ma be clearly understood, reference will be ma e to the accompanying drawiiigin which several embodiments are represented by way of example, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan,

Fig. v3 a-vertical section-in theeplane 3--3 in Fig. 1 showing one constructional form of the machine, whereas Figs. 4 to 8 show details and modified forms of some parts.

Referrin to the drawing,l the pedestals 1, 2 carry t e table 3; the pedestal 2 has, as an upward extension, the border 4 which forms the verticalguide.

According tothe form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 the circular knives, between which the enve ops are cut open, are the conical knives 5, 6. According to Fig. 8 the larger circular face 7 of the' top knife 5 faces the vertical guide 4, whereas the larger circular face 8 of the bottom knife 6 is turned-away from the border'4. In this manner it is obtained that the s lantin conical faces guide each envelop between t e knives, as clearly shown in Fi 7, so that it always remains in contact wit the vertical guide 4, and the separated strip keeps the same breadth. The axle 5 for the top knife is joui'naled in the wall 4, and the\ax1e 6 for the bottom the table 3 so t at it can swing, so that the electric motor hangs on the rope or cord 16 'i form of the knives.

l32, 33 each pressed into the shape of a iiat and its own weight tensions the same. Current is supplied to the motor through the conductors 17 and plug 18, andthe gearing may be covered by a casing 19.

ln front of the knives 5, 6 there are arranged projecting through the table rollers 20 which are driven by the electric motor 13 by means of grooved pulleys 21, 22, 23 and 24 and a cord passing over the same.

, Since the parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 are preferably made of wood for reducin the weight, in order to obtain durable gui ing faces, polished metal bars 25 can 'be inserted in the table 3 and guide 4. Behind the knives the 'uide 4 has a led e 26, the operative face 27 ofwhich is locate in a plane other than that of the feeding face of the table3, so that the separated stips 28 are uided away upward, as clearly indicated in ig. 7. This ledge 26 is preferably adjustable on the guide 4: y

Fig. 4 shows a modified constructional The top knife is a circular disk 29which enters into the space between the vvo disks 30, 3l. The cylindrical peripheral faces of the disks 30, 31 may be roughened or milled for feeding the envelops.

According to the form shown Fig. 4a the knives may be formed of two thin steel disks funnel and having their concave sides facing one another. The disks are fitted between correspondingly shaped plates, as clearly shown.

i The table 3 is preferably arranged sla-nting with regard to` the guide 4, namely either sloping transversely according to Fig. 5 or simultaneously also sloping longitudinally, so that ther envelops are always guided to the guide 4 by the cylindrical rollers 20. According to the form shown in Fig. 6 the rollers 20 may also be conical so that they always place the envelops against the guide 4.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a table having a guide, two circularkniveshavingconicalperipheriesmounted revolubly on the table parallel with said guide, a ledge adjustable on said guide behind the knives, the operative guiding face of I the ledge being situated in a plane other than i that of the top of the table, and means for' rotating said knives.

2. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a table having a vertical guide, the top of the table being arranged sloping downward toward said guide, two circular knives having conical peri heries mounted revolubly on the table ara el with said guide, two rollers arranged 1n said table in front of said knives, means for rotatin said rollers, and means for rotating sai lmives.

3l In a machine for oplening envelo s, the combination of a table aving a gui e, two circular knives having conical peri heries mounted revolubly on the table aral el with said guide, a plurality of cylindrical rollers arranged in said table in front of said knives, means for rotating said rollers, and means for rotating said knives.

4. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a table having a guide, a strip guiding ledge on said guide, knives revolubly mounted 'on the table adjacent said guide and ledge and rotating in a plane parallel with said guide, and means'forrotatlng said knives; I,

5. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination of a ,table having a guide, a ledge adjustably mounted on said guide, two superposed-'circular conical knives mounted revolubly on the table parallel with said guide and adjacent said ledge, the top knife being arranged with its lar er side facing said guide, and the bottom knife being arranged vwith its smaller side facing the guide, and

means for rotating said knives.

6. In a machine for o ening envelo s, the combination of a table liaving a gui e, two circular knives having conical peri heries mounted one above and the other be ow the table parallel with said guide, a ledge on said guide behind the knives and located in a plane above the top of thetable, and means or rotating said knives.

In testimony whereof, I afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORG METZKE.

Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT', HENRY HAsPER. 

